Ford B-MAX unveiled at MWC

Technology infused car is first vehicle ever to be revealed at mobile tech show

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Ford has revealed the B-MAX at MWC, loaded with Bluetooth pairing and voice-activation from smartphones, MP3-player conectivity and live Emergency Assistance

Ford has confirmed the European arrival of the B-MAX.

Delivered by Bill Ford, great-grandson of Henry Ford, at MWC, the B-MAX will be the first car to arrive in UK equipped with Ford's SYNC technology.

Offering Bluetooth pairing and voice-activation from smartphones, MP3-player conectivity and live Emergency Assistance, SYNC will be also be rolled out to Fiesta, Focus, Cougar and Transit models. It employs Nuance tech to speak nine languages and to place emergency calls in localised languages.

Pitched as a small family car, the B-MAX has sliding rear doors and integrates its central body pillars into the hinged front doors, creating cavernous openings either side.

We jumped in for a look and were impressed with its clever space. It sits between a Focus and a C-Max but is much more advanced in terms of in-car tech. Ford told T3 that it was also looking for partners to help develop its 'Applink' system - bringing voice-enabled smartphone app technology straight to the cockpit of its vehicles.

It's the first time an automotive manufacturer has unveiled a car at MWC and demonstrates Ford's vision for the connected car. Add 4G to the experience and you've got an interesting proposition. Bill Ford's keynote should offer a glimpse of that later today.

Ford's Europe’s chairman and CEO, Stephen Odell, said. “The all-new B-MAX is going to be a game-changer in the European compact family vehicle segment. No other vehicle in its class offers such an attractive combination of style, versatility and technology. We think it will be among the most technologically advanced small cars you can buy at any price.”